Michael

Story: At 22 weeks of what was thought to be a normal pregnancy my baby was
diagnosed with PUV's. After 5 bladder taps we were told there was no
measurable kidney function. As we didn't know the status of his lungs we were
told our son probably would not come home. I was hospitalized at 33 weeks for
lack of amniotic fluid. At 35 weeks we induced labor and signed DNR papers on
the way to the delivery room. We had contacted a family friend who is a
funeral director the night before to make arrangements. The sweetest sound
was my baby's scream and the sight of a trickle of urine as they took him
into the resuscitation room. We met Michael William Snyder a half hour later
attached to more tubes than I'd ever seen and on a ventilator...but he
already survived delivery and made it farther than our perinatologist
anticipated. "Mighty Mike" as his first nephrologist dubbed him was proving
to all of us the fighter he is. His PUV's were repaired at 4 days old. I gave
Mike his first kidney at 23 months old. He rejected it after only 9 weeks. He
had his vesicostomy placed six months later. Mike had chronic rejection and
was listed for another kidney in 2005. We recieved the call on Labor Day
weekend 2007 that a kidney was available and he was transplanted on 9/2/07 at
age 6. The following May we converted his vesicostomy to an
appendicovesicostomy. Mike was then the closest he had ever been to a
"normal" life being able to do away with pull-ups. His urologist doubted he
would ever have normal bladder function but to all our surprise Mike started
to void between his every 3 hour cathing routine. He is now voiding every 3
hours and only wears a bag at nighttime to decompress his bladder overnight.
And this is the now 12 year old who doctors told us would not come home. Yes
it's been a long hard road with many unexpected complications along the way.
Mike was developmentally delayed by over a year, had fine and gross motor
skill delays for which he received PT for many years, was tube fed for the
first 18 months and is sfill a picky eater, has had 20+ surgeries/procedures
for renal/urologic issues, but we are grateful for each day he is here. Hebis
an All-Star baseball player, plays basketball, has medaled multiple times in
the Transplant Games, is a 7th grader now learning at grade level, and
teaching us all how to live life to the fullest. Our kids are the strongest
kids I know and they can teach us to appreciate life and conquer the
challenges that come our way.